


The Escapist

by overcastskeleton



Series: IronStrange Library [5]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Comedy, Crib Shenanigans, Domestic Fluff, IronStrange, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Mutant! Peter Parker, Strangefamily, Superfamily (Marvel), Superiorfamily, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, tony and stephen are good dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 09:36:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14871281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overcastskeleton/pseuds/overcastskeleton
Summary: Stephen and Tony knew that moving Peter into his crib would be tough. But, they didn't expect this.





	The Escapist

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to write this for a long time. 
> 
> Enjoy some domestic Strangefamily (?), Superfamily (?), Superiorfamily (?)- What are we even calling it now?- fluff. 
> 
> In this fic, Peter is Tony's biological son
> 
> Vietnamese translation [ here](https://meomeoluoi0911.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/ironstrange-the-escapist/)

Tony and Stephen knew that moving Peter into his own room would be tough. Their son had been sleeping in their bed from the day Tony brought him home from the hospital a year and a half ago, and had pitched a fit whenever they laid him in his crib. But, having a toddler sleeping between them was really putting a damper on their sex life and Stephen would be damned if the nursery they spent months working on went to waste.

“He’s gotta start using his crib, Tony,” Stephen insisted one night as he and Tony completed their nightly routine.

Tony walked around the room rocking Peter slightly. He ran a finger over Peter’s soft cheek. “You know how he gets when we put him in there. I can’t stand to listen to him cry.”

Stephen shut his book and stood. “It’s going to take some getting used to, sure.” He stood behind Tony and wrapped his arms around his waist. “But, he’s a year and a half, Tony. He’s gotta start eventually, or he’ll be sleeping in our bed until he moves out.”

“And the crying?” Tony looked back at Stephen, pursing his lips.

“It’s completely normal. And he’ll get over it,” Stephen assured him.

Tony looked down at Peter, who looked back up at him with drowsy, half-closed eyes. “How do you know?”

Stephen chuckled, pulling Tony against him tighter. “Well, besides the fact that I’m a doctor who specializes in the workings of the brain, I took developmental psych during med school.” He rest his chin on the top of Tony’s head. “This is just one of the stages Pete has to go through in order to be healthy. Do you want me to scare you with Freudian theories?”

“Freud was a quack.” Tony grinned.

“Maybe so, but he makes for a good scare tactic.” Stephen rubbed Tony’s arm. “So let’s try it tonight, like a test run.” He dipped his head down to kiss Tony’s neck. “I think you’ll grow to like the freedom that a toddler-free bed can bring.”

Tony leaned his head to the side, giving Stephen more access. “Steph, you can’t always use sex to persuade me.”

“Is it working?” Stephen grazed his teeth over the base of Tony’s neck.

Tony inhaled sharply. “Maybe,” he admitted.

“Peter’s asleep,” Stephen whispered, lightly nipping the shell of Tony’s ear. “So let’s go put him in his crib and enjoy the rest of our night.”

Tony nodded. “You’re right,” he said, but stood rooted to the spot.

“Tony.” Stephen nudged Tony forward. “You gotta walk to the crib, come on.”

Tony sighed and took a tentative step forward.

“That’s it.” Stephen coaxed.

Eventually, they made it to Peter’s room, and with a little more persuading, Tony laid the toddler in his crib and tucked the blankets around him.

“See, everything is okay,” Stephen said softly as they backed out of the room. “So now, let me distract you.” Stephen wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist.

Tony cast a longing look into the room and then back up into his husband’s eyes. “And he’s gonna be okay?”

“Completely Tony. No lasting trauma,” Stephen affirmed, rubbing Tony’s back.

“Okay. Distract me.” Tony acquiesced, leaning into Stephen’s body.

*** * * * * ***

Stephen collapsed on top of Tony, breathing heavily into his neck. “I almost forgot what it felt like not to hold back in fear of waking Peter up.” He kissed Tony’s neck.

Tony ran his hand over Stephen’s shoulder. “Yeah, that was great.”

“What’s wrong?” Stephen looked up at Tony.

“It’s just,” Tony huffed. “Are you sure Pete’s okay?”

Stephen raised an eyebrow, rolling onto his side. “Really? That’s what you’re thinking about after we just had sex.”

“I’m just really worried about him.” Tony ran a hand over his face. “It’s his first night away from us-”

“It’s your first night away from him,” Stephen clarified. “I think you’re the one with the separation anxiety here, babe.” Stephen took Tony’s hand. “Tones, love, he’s going to be fine. I know you love him, he’s your world. But he’s gotta get used to sleeping on his own. And you have to get used to it too.”

Tony turned onto his side. “I’m gonna install cameras. Lots of cameras.”

“Whatever you’ve gotta do.” Stephen kissed Tony’s hand. “Peter’s okay. Probably dreaming about us right now.” He draped an arm around Tony’s waist and kissed his forehead. “ _So_ , let’s go to bed, so we can dream about him. Okay?”

Tony nodded and snuggled into Stephen’s chest. “Thanks for keeping me sane.”

Stephen tucked Tony’s head under his chin. “Somebody has to.”

*** * * * * ***

They awoke early the next morning to find a little body wedged in-between them. Stephen opened his eyes first and came face to face with Peter’s brown ones.

“Dada!” Peter grinned, eyes dancing.

“Heeeyyy, little guy,” Stephen said confused. “What are you doing here?”

Peter yawned and snuggled into Stephen’s chest. “Dada,” he mumbled sleepily.

“Tony,” Stephen whispered, shaking Tony’s shoulder. “ _Tony_!”

His husband groaned and rolled onto his side. “What?”

“How did Peter end up in our bed?” Stephen gestured to the small boy lying on his chest.

Tony opened his eyes slightly. “Dunno.” He muttered and closed his eyes.

Stephen glanced from Peter to Tony. “Did you go get him last night?”

“All due respect, _doc_.” Tony smirked sleepily. “I wasn’t in much of a position to walk last night.”

Stephen pursed his lips. “If you didn’t do it. How did he get out?”

*** * * * * ***

“This is the fourth time this week.” Stephen slid into the chair beside Tony, sipping at his mug of coffee. “We’ve got to figure out how this is happening.”

Tony watched Peter play. “I don’t know. It kind of feels like destiny. Maybe he’s not supposed to sleep in his own bed.”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “Tony, our kid keeps escaping his crib every night and climbing into bed with us and that doesn’t worry you in the slightest. What if he gets hurt?”

“I mean it does, but it’s comforting in a way.” Tony stole Stephen’s coffee mug and took a long sip.

“You’re saying you don’t want to know how our toddler climbs out of his crib every night and into our bed?” Stephen leaned in front of Tony, forcing eye contact.

Tony shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, a little bit,” he confessed.

“I say we set up those cameras you were talking about tonight and watch the footage, then we can figure out how to keep him in his crib,” Stephen proposed.

Tony gulped the rest of the coffee down and stood. “I’ll start working on them.”

“You know, I made that coffee for me, if you wanted some you could have gotten your own.” Stephen complained, swatting Tony’s ass lightly.

Tony grinned over his shoulder. “If it’s so easy, why don’t you just get some more?”

“You’re lucky you’re rich,” Stephen called, grabbing his mug and taking it into the kitchen.

“And you’re lucky you’re cute!” Tony called back, descending the stairs into his lab.

“Dada!” Peter called toddling into the kitchen.

Stephen picked him up. “We’re gonna figure out your little secret, Pete.” He tickled Peter’s stomach.

“Dada!” Peter giggled and wrapped his arms around Stephen’s neck.

*** * * * * ***

To nobody’s surprise, Stephen and Tony woke up to find Peter snuggled between them on the fifth morning. Tony grabbed the tablet he had connected to the cameras in Peter’s room and pulled up the feed from the night before.

“Time to get to the bottom of this.” Stephen sat up against the headboard.

Tony copied his movements, settling closer so Stephen could see the screen. Peter sighed in his sleep and cuddled into Tony’s side.

“Nothing weird so far, I’m gonna speed it up a little.” Tony said, sliding his finger along the bottom of the screen.

Stephen squinted at the screen. “Wait, stop! There, he’s getting up.”

Sure enough, Peter was standing in his crib, looking around disoriented. Stephen and Tony watched in fascination and horror as their son climbed up the rods of his crib. Peter balanced on the top bar for a moment, before… _jumping_ the ten feet between his bed and the wall and landing against the wall with a soft thud.

“Tony…” Stephen said in utter disbelief. “Our son is sticking to the wall.”

Tony snapped his jaw shut. “Yeah, I can see that.”

Peter crawled up the wall quickly. Tony switched the camera view so they could see him move across the ceiling.

“Our kid is crawling on the ceiling.” Tony said. “How is he crawling on the ceiling?”

They stared at the little boy nestled between their bodies, then back at each other. “Holy shit,” They said in unison.

“I haven’t had enough coffee for this.” Tony got out of bed.

*** * * * * ***

After they were both properly caffeinated, and Peter was awake and eating breakfast, the conversation reconvened.

“You don’t have any mutants on your side of the family, do you?” Stephen asked.

Tony shook his head. “Not that I know of. And we did a complete background check on the surrogate mother.”

“Well, maybe the mutation wasn’t caused genetically,” Stephen ran a hand over Peter’s head. “Maybe there was an outside force.”

Tony snorted. “Like what? A radioactive spider.”

Stephen raised an eyebrow.

“Oh come on! You can’t be serious.” Tony guffawed.

“Mutant manifestations don’t appear out of thin air. They’re either genetically attained or derived from an outside influence.”  

“And you think that ‘radioactive spider’ is a _plausible_ explanation?” Tony said slowly.

Stephen sat down in front of Tony. “I’m saying that we need to get Peter tested, see if we can identify the source and isolate the mutation.”

“And then what? We find a cure? This _wall climbing_ is part of who he is, we can’t just take that away from him.” Tony put his head in his hands.

Stephen took Tony’s hands. “I’m not saying we change anything about him. He’s perfect.”

“Well, he’s 50% me, of course he’s perfect.” Tony grinned cheekily.

Stephen squeezed Tony’s hands. “We’ll just learn the extent of the mutation, and then we’ll learn how to handle it.”

“I don’t want a bunch of doctors poking at my son like some experiment.” Tony looked at Peter, who smiled back at him.

“Then we’ll get Banner to do it, and I’ll oversee everything. He’ll be in the best hands, don’t worry.” Stephen leaned across the table and pressed a sweet kiss to Tony’s lips. “We’ll do this together.”

“Together.” Tony smiled. “And uh...until we figure out how to handle this mutation thing, I think Peter should keep sleeping in our bed. I mean, he’s just gonna keep climbing into our bed anyways, and we can’t shut the door on him. What if he falls off the wall or ceiling and gets hurt-”

Stephen kissed Tony again, cutting off his tirade. “He can sleep in our bed, but _only_ until we figure out his mutation.”

Tony glanced over at Peter. “Uh, Steph...is that white stuff coming out of Peter? I thought we’d have to wait until puberty to worry about that.”

“I think it’s…” Stephen picked up the sticky rope with his fork.

“Webbing?” Tony said, shocked.

Stephen held it up to the light. “You still doubt the radioactive spider theory?”

Tony gulped. “This is gonna be interesting.”  

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for the hits and the kudos and comments. They mean a lot to me!


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